Salt Cod Cakes with Ham, Duck Eggs & Chicory Greens

Makes: 4 servings

• 2 lbs. Fresh Ling or True Cod
• 1 lb. Kosher Salt
• 4 bay leaves each
• 1 tsp. Black Peppercorns
• 1 qt milk
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 leek, chopped rough
• 2 whole eggs
• ½ cup flour
• 1 cup Brioche or white bread crumbs
• 1 tbsp. preserved lemon zest
• 3 tbsp. Virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp. chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp. chopped tarragon

• 2 whole duck eggs, soft boiled and quartered
• 1 head baby frisee
• ½ cup jambon Cru Ham, brunoised
• 2 tbsp. tarragon leaves
• 1 tsp. capers, chopped
• ½ tsp. shallots, brunoised and sweated
• 2 tbsp. chopped chives
• 2 tbsp. chopped parsley
• ¼ cup sherry vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

 

For the Salt Cod Cake:

Marinate the cod in salt, bay and pepper for 4 days in a glass or stainless steel dish, covered in plastic.

 When marinating is complete, wash the fillets in cold water until salt is clean, place in a stainless steel sauce pot and simmer (on low heat) in milk for 2 hours, add the garlic and leeks and simmer(on low heat) 30 minutes.

Drain the milk away and add the herbs, olive oil and lemon zest and place in a mixing bowl, whip the fish, seasonings, and herbs for 3 minutes on high.

When cool, create small 3 oz. cakes of the salted cod mixture and set aside. Whisk the eggs and place the eggs, bread crumbs, and flour in separate stainless steel bowls. Pass each ball of mixture through the egg, then the flour, revisit the egg, then finish with the breadcrumbs. Shape the ball into a cake by pressing into a coffee cup or 3 inch stainless steel ring mold and sear on both sides in olive oil, finish in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes to serve.

 

 

For the Ham and Duck Egg Vinaigrette:

Emulsify all ingredients by whishing together, leave the duck eggs quarters aside for garnish. Garnish the cake with a salad of ham and frisee, shaved fennel, chiffonade of radicchio and arugula and the accompanying vinaigrette